Logo for a New Political Candidate

Some people run their mouths; others get off their asses and make change happen.

Welcome back one and all.

Today I can finally release something I am 20 kinds of proud of: a logo for a brand-new political candidate, right here in Oregon.

His name is David McCall, known to his friends as "Mac". I have known Mac for well over a decade, and like him personally a great deal. We have worked on many community-based projects together, and was thrilled and floored when he asked me for assistance on something that has even taken me by surprise: he is running against an incumbent Republican in his district. That district is number 25, which comprises of an area in the Central Valley here in Oregon, primarily Keizer and Newberg.

This is Oregon District 25, which is in our Central Valley, and comprises urban and rural areas. Click on image to view or download the PDF. Courtesy of the State of Oregon.

I know the area firsthand, having worked in Newberg (which is off Oregon Highway 99 West) when I first moved to Oregon back in 1999, for a plastics manufacturer in their marketing department. I have also lived in Keizer, right off of River Road. Keizer is the small but rapidly growing community that is adjacent to Salem, the capital of Oregon.

Mac faces an uphill battle, attempting to unseat a local politician that has been in his position for some time. Of course, the joke around town when working with me is always the same: we don't have a lot money, we are facing off against entrenched attitudes and there is a good chance we might fail.

A Spanish term that comes to mind that has been adopted into the English language is the word Quixotic.

Of course, I immediately said yes.

Did I also happen to mention that Miguel Cervantes is a personal hero of mine and that his book Don Quixote is one of the books that changed my life forever? Cervantes, like myself, was unable to make a living as a full-time writer and took other work to support himself. Did you know he also did time behind bars, just like myself? For those who have heard of Don Quixote but have never read it, a brief synopsis: he meets all sorts of people screwed over by life, and takes it upon himself to stick to his guns and do the right thing for them; doing it for the right reasons in the right way to correct an injustice brought upon them. Nothing changes the mindset of the titular character of the book, even when he is jailed for freeing slaves.

A Spanish term that comes to mind that has been adopted into the English language is the word Quixotic: foolishly impractical especially in the pursuit of ideals; (especially) marked by rash lofty romantic ideas or extravagantly chivalrous action, according to the good folks at Merriam-Webster, who know a thing or two about language.

And no, I am not necessarily fully comparing myself or Mac to a man who would charge windmills on horseback. Or maybe I am. Ultimately, that decision, like your vote, is always yours.

Some people run their mouths; others get off their asses and make change happen. I am proud to call Mac my friend, am going to his official campaign kick-off on 01 May 2018 and am proud he is doing something to make change happen when others sit around and simply wish things to be better. There will be more updates from my end of the campaign, and I can't wait to lay them all on you.

And yes, for the record, Mac does have a white goatee and wear a white cowboy hat.